Finland baker launches bread made from crushed crickets

Adela's Take

What it's about:

Finnish bakery and food service company Fazer has launched what it says is the world's first insect-based bread to be offered to consumers in stores.

The bread, made from flour ground from dried crickets as well as wheat flour and seeds, contains more protein than normal wheat bread.

Each loaf contains about 70 crickets and costs 3.99 euros ($4.72), compared with 2 to 3 euros for a regular wheat loaf.

Insect-eating, or entomophagy, is common in much of the world. The United Nations estimated last year that at least 2 billion people eat insects and more than 1,900 species have been used for food.

In Western countries, edible bugs are gaining traction in niche markets, particularly among those seeking a gluten-free diet or wanting to protect the environment because farming insects uses less land, water and feed than animal husbandry.

Why it's noteworthy:

The demand to find more food sources, together with a desire to treat animals more humanely, have raised interest in using insects as a protein source in several Western countries.

In November, Finland joined five other European nations - Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Denmark - in allowing insects to be raised and marketed for food use.